Therapeutic light ray apparatus



July 12, 1938.

L. J. BRISTQW ET AL THERAPEUTIC LIGHT RAY APPARATUS Filed 'April 8, 1950 z/f a/ra/es Patented July 12, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THERAPEUTIC LIGHT RAY APPARATUS Louis J. Bristow and Frederick F. Strong, Loo Angeles. Calif.

Application April 8, 1930, Serial No. 442,488

13 Claims. (01. 250-35) construction of the apparatus disclosed in our aforesaid application for patent as well as other similar devices and further, to provide a relatively simple, inexpensive and highly efflcient apparau tus that will be of great benefit in the treatment of cavities and orifices of the human body.

Further objects of ourpresent invention are,

to provide in an apparatus of the character referred to, a relatively small tube that is capable 20 of being easily inserted into the smaller cavities of the body and further, to construct the tube so as to materially increase its tensile strength.

Further objects of our invention are, to provide in. an apparatus of the character referred to,

25 a tube having a plurality of cavities or chambers which will permit a greater quantity of gas to be placed in the tube, thereby materially increasing the life or period of usefulness of the tube and further, to construct the tube and the cavi- 30 ties therein so as to minimize and eliminate the heating of the tube while the same is in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, our invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts that 35 will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional perspective view of a tube constructed in accordance with our invention and 40 having a single partition that divides the space within the tube of the two chambers.

Fig. 2 is a sectional perspective view of a tube that is formed in two parts that are integrally connected. I

45 Fig. 3 is a sectional perspective view of a tube having two chambers formed therein.

Fig. 4 is a sectional perspective view of a tube having four chambers.

Fig; 5 is a plan view of a tube constructed in 50 accordance with our invention and having its forward end shaped so as to be readily inserted into different cavities of the body.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section taken through the center of a tube constructed in accordance 55 with our invention.

Referring by numerals tothe accompanying drawing, and particularly to the form. of tube illustrated in Fig. l, a tube It is formed of pure or practically pure fused quartz or fused silica.

The diameter of the tube may be of any desired size, but in accordance with the purpose for which the tube is employed, the diameter thereof should be such as to permit of its practical use .in various cavities of the body. The length of the tube may vary, but for practical purposes it 10 should be about seven or eight inches in length. The tube may be straight or curved throughout its length or its forward end portion may be curved, as illustrated in Fig. 5, in order to per- -mit of its insertion into different orifices of the body.

, Arranged within the tube l0, and extending lengthwise therethrough is a partition H of fused quartz or silica, which divides thelspace within the tube of the two chambers I2 that are practically the same area and capable of containing a relatively large quantity of gas.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. .2, the apparatus is made up cf two separately formed tubes I3 of fused quartz or silica, each tube hav- I ing a flat side or face and the two flat sides or faces being placed together and welded. This construction provides a tube having two longitudinally disposed gas chambers.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 3, a rod M of fused quartz or silica is provided with two longitudinally disposed parallel chambers i5. Obviously the rod may be provided with three or more longitudinally disposed parallel chambers and in Fig. 4 is shobvn a rod having four chambers.

In all cases the structure is that of a quartz rod having a plurality of longitudinal bores extending therethrough, the bores communicating with each other at the outer or distal end of the rod. Thus by inserting the electrode iii in each of the bores the electrical discharge between the electrodes will follow the path of one of the bores to the outer or distal end of the rod and back through the other bore to the second electrode. The cross sectional area of the bores being substantially the same, the discharge path so formed is of substantially constant cross sectional area, thus insuring that the resistance to the discharge will be substantially the same throughout the extent of the rod. The electrodes may be formed in separate chambers of quartz sealed respectively to the rod to communicate with the bores therein. I

The electrodes it are formed of solid material 70 chamber, both of said electrodes being located having a high degree of electric current conductivity and-they are fixedly secured in any suitable manner in the rear ends of the legs of the elongated U-shaped chamber within the tube and said electrodes are disposed in longitudinal alignment with the legs of said U-shaped chamber in order that the current that passes to and from said electrodes may have direct flow through the inert gas that fills the chamber within the tube.

A small opening is made at the rear end of the tube to permit connection to a suitable pump and after the chambers within the tube have been exhausted of all foreign gases by means well known to those skilled in the art, a suitable inert gas, for instance, argon or neon, or a suitable combination of inert gases is discharged into the opening and after a drop or two of mercury is delivered through said opening, the same is sealed. This sealed opening is designated by the numeral II.

In practice we prefer to use a quartz or fused silica tube for the reason that such tube permits the desired rays to pass from the luminous gases contained within the tube while an electric current is passing therethrough and as the apparatus in operation develops a temperature of less than.l20 F. it is not necessary to employ any cooling means such as a circulation of cool air or water for the purpose of counteracting heat and maintaining the apparatus at a usable temperature.

We have demonstrated in practice that our improved apparatus produces positive ultra-violet rays or waves such as are commonly used in therapeutic treatments and which are considered highly effective and beneficial and these rays or waves are produced without the development of sufllcient infra-red or heat rays that would otherwise render the apparatus impractical for use in the chambers or cavities of the human body.

A particularly desirable feature of our invention is that the tube when properly constructed and ready for use comprises a straight or slightly curved body that has the form of a cylindrical tube and by virtue of such form the tube may be readily inserted into the smaller cavities and orifices of the body, and the longitudinally disposed partition or partitions within the body of the tube divide the space therein, into a continuous chamber that is double the length of the 'tube thus, in effect producing a double ray of light throughout the length of the tube when the gases contained within the chamber are subiected to the passage of an electric current.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size-form and construction of the various parts of our improved apparatus for producing ultra-violet rays may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of our invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In an apparatus for producing ultra-violet rays, a substantially straight elongated transparent tube having a smooth outer surface, a flat .partition disposed within the tube and dividing the space therein into a plurality of longitudinally disposed chambers of substantially equal crosssectional area, an electrode sealed into each at one end of said tube, and the, two chambers in the tube communicating with each other at the distal end of said tube so as to form a continuous chamber from one electrode to'the other,

annex/o0 and an inert gas filling said chambers to a pressure sumcient to support an electrical discharge between said electrodes.

2. In an apparatus for producing ultra-violet rays, a substantially straight transparent tube, a partition disposed within the tube extending from the sides thereof and sealed to said sides and dividing the space therein into a plurality of longitudinally disposed chambers of substantially equal area, an electrode sealed into each chamber or sealed into tubular extensions leading therefrom at one end of the tube and the two chambers in the tube communicating with each other at the distal end of the tube so as to form a continuous chamber from one electrode to the other and an inert gas placed within said tube at a pressure sufilcient to support an electrical discharge between said electrodes and with a small quantity of mercury in said chambers.

3. An an article of manufacture, a therapeutic light ray tube comprising a substantially straight body formed of quartz, one end of which body is slightly enlarged, a rigid partition arranged within said body and sealed to said body on each side and dividing the space therein into a plurality of longitudinally disposed chambers of substantially equal cross sectional area, said partition being connected to the body at the enlarged end thereof, the opposite end of the partition being spaced apart from the corresponding end of the body so as to establish communication between the chambers within said body thereby providing a continuous chamber within said body that is substantially twice the length of said body, electrodes sealed within the ends of the continuous chamber that terminate in the enlarged end of the body of the tube, and an inert gas filling said chamber at a pressure sufilcient to support an electrical discharge between said electrodes.

4. In a gas filled lamp for electric discharge, an.

elongated quartz rod having a plurality of longitudinal bores extending therethrough and. intercommunicating with each other at the distal end of said rod and within the end of said rod, a plurality of electrodes, one for each of said bores mounted at the other end of said rod, each electrode being located within the end of the bore in which it is located,- and an inert gas filling said bores at a pressure sumcient to support an electrical discharge between said electrodes.

5. In a gas filled lamp for electric discharge, an elongated quartz rod having a plurality of longitudinal bores of substantially the same cross sectional area extending therethrough and intercommunicating with each other at the distal end of said rod and within the end of said rod, said rod having a smooth external surface and substantially of the same diameter throughout its length, a plurality of electrodes, one for each of said bores mounted at the other end of said rod and an inert gas filling said bores at a pres- '7. A therapeutic lamp for orificial application comprising a slender substantially elongated gas filled tube internally divided by rigid wall structure extending from side to side to provide two parallel passages in communication at their-outer extremities only, electrodes open to said passages at their inner extremities, and conductors leading from said electrodes for connection with a source of electric current.

8. In a therapeutic device for orificial application, a slender substantially elongated gas filled tube internally subdivided by means of rigid wall structure from the sides of said tube to provide a plurality of longitudinally disposed chambers, said chambers being in communication at their outer extremities only, electrodes open to said chambers at the inner extremities thereof, and conductors leading from said electrodes for connection with a source of electric current.

9. In an orificial appliance of the class described; a length of scaled gas filled tube which is divided from side to side by a longitudinal partition to provide separate passages which communicate at one extremity only; said tube having conductor electrodes arranged in isolation for contact with the gas in each passage.

10. In an apparatus for producing ultra-violet rays, an elongated transparent tube having a smooth outer surface, a. flat partition disposed within the tube and dividing the space therein into a plurality of longitudinally disposed chambers of substantially equal cross sectional area, a metal electrode sealed into each chamber or sealed into tubular extensions leading therefrom, both of said electrodes being located at one end of said tube and the two chambers in the tube communicating with each other at the distal end of said tube and within said tube so as to form a continuous passage from one electrode to the other, conductor wires leading from the electrodes, means for scaling in wires and an inert gas filling said chambers to a pressure sufficient to support an electrical discharge between said electrodes.

11. In an apparatus for producing ultra-violet rays, a transparent quartz tube divided into two chambers by means of rigid wall structure, both chambers open and intercommunicating with each other at the distal end and within the end of said tube or rod, two electrodes isolated from each other and sealed into the chambers or sealed into tubular extensions leading from the chambers on the opposite end of said tube or rod and conductor wires attached to said electrodes, means for sealing in said wires to prevent a leakage of inert gas placed within said tube.

12. In an apparatus for producing ultra-violet rays, a transparent tube divided into a plurality of longitudinal chambers by means of rigid structure, the chambers open and intercommunieating with each other at the distal end and within the end of said tube, two electrodes isolated from each other and sealed into two chambers or sealed into tubular extensions leading from two chambers on the opposite end of said tube, conductor wires attached to said electrodes, means for sealing in said Wires to prevent a leakage of inert gas and mercury vapor placed within said tube.

13. In an apparatus for producing ultra-violet rays, a transparent rod divided into a plurality of longitudinal chambers by means of rigid structure, the chambers open and intercommunicating with each other at the distal end of said rod, and within said rod, electrodes and conductor wires sealed into the chambers or sealed into tubular extensions leading therefrom, means for sealing conductor wires to prevent leakage of inert gas placed in the chambers at a pressure suiflcient for an electrical discharge.

LOUIS J. BRISTOW. FREDERICK F. STRONG. 

